I love food! I think about food a lot, really, a lot! I often have dreams about cooking and then rack my brain in the morning to remember what I cooked, so I can make it for dinner. Every time I have remembered, it’s been something fantastic! (Jamaican Jerk Steak au poivre!, Crab and Parmesan Risotto Cakes, My Favorite Kale Salad...) Food and ingredients have always been a passion of mine- I keep The Food Lover’s Companion and Oxford Companion To Food handy at all times in case I need to look something up. I’ve always enjoyed cooking and find it relaxing and satisfying. I have great memories of cooking with my Mom, Grandma and even my great-Grandmother. But my obsession with ingredients started when I began working at New World Home Cooking and found there was a whole world of ingredients I knew nothing about. Suddenly, I was learning about more exotic ingredients, making different curries (Indian, Thai, red, green...), Caribbean spices, all the different hot peppers out there, what fun! I learned a lot working there. (Thanks Ric!) After I left New World I started my own spice company, Lucky Black Cat Spice Co., specializing in spice rubs and blends. I began researching how different flavors work together (or didn’t), how each herb and spice tastes and smells and what pairs well together. This used and expanded upon what I learned at New World. Sniffing and tasting, tasting, tasting to perfect each spice blend. During this time, I found out my itchy skin and allergies were due to a gluten intolerance, so I had to dramatically adjust my diet. This is easier today with all the “Gluten-free” items in the stores, but is definitely a challenge in the kitchen sometimes. This new lifestyle change helped me to lose 25 pounds and lower my cholesterol 50 points, as I began directing much of this knowledge toward eating and living more healthfully. Adding spices to food for flavor instead of unhealthy fats, eating more greens and whole grains. I began an amazing journey of foods, herbs and spices for energy, lowering cholesterol and much more.When I moved to Vermont, I took this journey to the next level with my new job as restaurant manager at Simon Pearce Restaurant. Simon Pearce is known for it use of high quality ingredients and local sourcing. I became more interested in the idea of eating locally and seasonally.In October 2012 I began my training at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition where where I was trained in more than one hundred dietary theories and studied a variety of practical lifestyle coaching methods. Drawing on all this knowledge, I will help you create a completely personalized step by step “roadmap to health” that suits your unique body, lifestyle, preferences, and goals....combining all this with ideas for healthy living. Offering cooking classes, grocery store tours, pantry updates and personal Wellness Coaching. One of my favorite things I have learned is balance. Eating right and taking care of yourself is an amazing gift you can give to yourself; but you must also give yourself time to have fun, laugh, have a glass of wine, spend time with friends and family. It is all so important to your health, it's more than just what you put into your mouth.Organic. Local. Chemical Free. Gluten Free. GMO-free. Healthy and delicious food. Not just food and cooking but translating this to the rest of my life- What do you feed your pet? What do you slather on your skin? What do you clean your house with? Where does my food come from? It’s not always easy, but these are the choices I have made, and I’m so happy I have. I am so excited to share this with you.